But they also voiced concerns that some patients may not need all the drugs they are on and were potentially at increased risk of death.

Researcher Dr Carol Brayne said: "We know that polypharmacy is associated with higher mortality and that the evidence for combination therapies on the scale that we have seen them in the older population is not good."

She said the findings highlighted the need for robust evidence on the benefits and harms of taking pills in bulk.

A 2015 study in Spain found those taking six medicines or more a day were nearly three times as likely to die prematurely than those on no drugs at all.

Even taking up to five a day increased the dangers by an estimated 47 per cent, researchers warned.